In his lesson 17 on Revelation 12, he makes the statement that understanding this chapter is very crucial to understanding God’s plan. He states that it was (he believes) G. H. Pember, who first alluded to the fact that the catching up of the male child of Israel (who is the Woman in this chapter) was an allusion to the Rapture. He says the catching up is contained in the word harpazo (meaning the rapture of the church). So to him if we see in scripture the Greek word for Rapture; then we must consider that it may mean a pre-Trib Rapture. This of course ignores that the word is used for other happenings where being caught away associates with other than the Church.

He outlines the gaps that occur in prophetic scripture which he says makes it scriptural that the Rapture would imply the gap that takes place here in chapter 12 getting us from Jesus ascension to the time of Tribulation. But, the literal scripture here says the child not the church (so is this child Jesus or the church?) for the child was caught up. His point makes light of and even overlooks that Jesus was, in fact, caught up? What does this prove concerning sequence in the Revelation? Fact is that it is only sequential when the Dispensationalist wants it to be sequential. The rest of us just admit that it is not sequential, but prophetic. Does Revelation 12’s child not explain “Hos. 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. “. Jesus role is clearly stated in this verse, and it supports what is stated in Revelation 12. It is not a gap if it it prophesied. Jesus returns to His place with the Father until Israel repents and joins Gods People in the Olive tree. This is the teaching of Scripture. It is to take two of God’s days to accomplish.

Missler relates that Satan has in the past attempted to thwart God’s plan by destroying the bloodline, and the Christ, he will attempt to destroy Israel once again during tribulation to stop the plan. He seems to ignore that believers in Jesus at the point of Revelation 12, are other than Israel and they are being attacked in the attempt to wipe out all belief in Jesus during this time. In Missler’s understanding Israel must be represented as both the offspring of the woman and the woman. This makes little sense: for Christ the male child out of Israel (the woman) to not be the producer of her offspring, who are the sons of God (those Jews and Gentiles who are in Him). One can just as easily make the argument that this is the very definition of the church throughout the new Testament. Israel’s fallen nation is only re-grafted into this body once they as a remnant nation have called on Him to be saved entering back into the Olive tree, and it is then that He returns. Listen to what Peter says to the men of Israel:

Acts 3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old.

Israel’s salvation is here taught to bring restoration of all things or completion. Completion to what? Scripturally it is the Olive tree — the people of God? Eph. 4 calls this one new man. Romans 11 implies this. It is the bride of Revelation 19 implying this. It is the age of Daniel 12:13; Matt 24:3 & 28:20 all seemingly saying this.